Starting Lineup | Pit Stall Assignments
There are a number of stories to watch develop in Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Need for Speed
Practice and qualifying speeds are high due in no small part to the new Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rules package and added downforce to cars. Ryan Blaney set a track qualifying record and practice laps have also been much higher than the last Bristol visit in August. How that impacts competition in race conditions is a big question.
Final Practice Speeds | Second Practice Speeds
Track Surface
Also adding to the story of speed is the application of traction compound to the racing surface. The additional grip has also made the cars faster while providing additional racing room around the .533-mile short track. However not every driver is pleased with where the compound was applied to the concrete surface.
All Hendrick Front Row…Again
For the second straight week and third time this season, two drivers from Hendrick Motorsports comprise the first two starting spots. Chase Elliott’s first pole of the year was backed up by teammate William Byron earning the outside front row spot. Hendrick is in pursuit of its first win this season.
Chevrolet Drought
The Hendrick camp is not the only Chevrolet organization looking for win number one of 2019. The entire manufacturer lineup has also been shut out of Victory Lane so far this season. Elliott’s second-place run at Martinsville was the best finish for Chevy to date. The last Chevrolet driver to win at Bristol was Jimmie Johnson in 2017. Read More
Harvick Shutout, Will Start From Rear
This time a year ago Kevin Harvick had a trio of wins on the board thanks to a three-race winning streak. It’s been a different story for the Stewart-Haas Racing driver in 2019 as he continues to pursue his first trip to Victory Lane. Harvick has been running well as evident of his three top-five finishes in the year’s opening seven races. But the frustration level of still not winning is evident around the No. 4 team. That frustration continues into Sunday as he will have to start from the rear and serve a pass-thru penalty for the No. 4 car failing inspection multiple times.
Update: Harvick to Start from Rear, Owes Pass-Through for Multiple Failures
Kyle vs. Kyle
Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson have a long history of racing together at Bristol across NASCAR’s three national divisions. But while Busch has seven career Bristol Cup wins, Larson is still seeking his first. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has finished second in the last two Bristol outings. Busch is seeking his third win of the year on Sunday. The two drivers start near one another with Larson 16th while Busch takes the green flag in 17th.
